called soon, and we will smoke the pipe of
peace."

Accepting this permission to retire, the hunters immediately left the
tent; and being now at liberty to do what they pleased, they amused
themselves by wandering about the village.

"He's a cute chap that," remarked Joe, with a sarcastic smile; "I
don't feel quite easy about gettin' away. He'll bother the life out o'
us to get all the goods we've got, and, ye see, as we've other tribes
to visit, we must give away as little as we can here."

"Ha! you is right," said Henri; "dat fellow's eyes twinkle at de
knives and tings like two stars."

"Fire-flies, ye should say. Stars are too soft an' beautiful to
compare to the eyes o' yon savage," said Dick, laughing. "I wish we
were well away from them. That rascal Mahtawa is an ugly customer."

"True, lad," returned Joe; "had _he_ bin the great chief our scalps
had bin dryin' in the smoke o' a Pawnee wigwam afore now. What now,
lad?"

Joe's question was put in consequence of a gleeful smile that
overspread the countenance of Dick Varley, who replied by pointing to
a wigwam towards which they were approaching.

"Oh! that's only a dandy," exclaimed Joe. "There's lots o' them in
every Injun camp. They're fit for nothin' but dress, poor contemptible
critters."

Joe accompanied his remark with a sneer, for of all pitiable objects
he regarded an unmanly man as the most despicable. He consented,
however, to sit down on a grassy bank and watch the proceedings of
this Indian dandy, who had just seated himself in front of his wigwam
for the purpose of making his toilet.

He began it by greasing his whole person carefully and smoothly over
with buffalo fat, until he shone like a patent leather boot; then he
rubbed himself almost dry, leaving the skin sleek and glossy. Having
proceeded thus far, he took up a small mirror, a few inches in
diameter, which he or some other member of the tribe must have
procured during one of their few excursions to the trading-forts of
the Pale-faces, and examined himself, as well as he could, in so
limited a space. Next, he took a little vermilion from a small parcel
and rubbed it over his face until it presented the somewhat demoniac
appearance of a fiery red. He also drew a broad red score along the
crown of his head, which was closely shaved, with the exception of the
usual tuft or scalplock on the top. This scalplock stood bristling
straight up a few inches, and then curved over and hung down